Semiconductor workpieces, such as wafers and the like, are the subject of extensive processing to produce integrated circuits, data disks and similar articles. During such processing it is often necessary to treat a particular workpiece or workpiece surface with either gaseous or liquid chemicals. Such treatment allows for films or layers of material to be deposited or grown on a workpiece surface. One method of accomplishing this is to expose the particular workpiece to desired processing environments in which desired chemicals are present to form or grow such films or layers. Some processing regimes involve moving the workpiece within the processing environment to effectuate film or layer coverage.
It has been increasingly desirable to minimize the size of features in integrated circuits during such processing to provide circuits having reduced size and increased integration and capacity. However, the reduction in feature size of such circuits is limited by contaminants such as particles, crystals, metals and organics which can cause defects and render the circuit inoperational. These limitations in feature size caused by contaminants have prevented utilization of full resolution capability of known processing techniques.
It is therefore highly desirable to conduct such semiconductor workpiece processing within a regulated environment which preferably involves some type of automated or computer controlled processing. The regulated environment has minimal human contact to provide a low contaminant environment. Providing a regulated environment reduces the chances of an inadvertent contamination which could render the workpiece useless. Therefore, an increased need exists for providing a processing environment which adequately performs semiconductor workpiece processing steps in the presence of minimal contaminants.